Feather Beauty. A.F. Vandevorst SS15

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My favourite Belgian label, A.F. Vandevorst, has just shown a magical collection. Keeping it a bit military, the designer couple introduced beautiful silhouttes and fabric. An Vandevorst and Filip Arickx had come up with a story, about a female pilot flying around the world who parachutes into terra incognita and begins exploring. Which is to say, Vandevorst and Arickx were riffing on parachutes and flight suits, a theme sledgehammered home by the rather extraordinary opening gown of what looked like parachute silk, with a train nearly the length of the runway. The models wore non-chalant gowns, wrapped jackets, red suits, very “natural” head covers and feather embroideries. And these ones were reall amazing. A.F. Vandevorst decorated the whole gown with feathers, making it look couture. But the simple shape of it made it feel (and look) very comfortable. Amazing.

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Memories. Maison Martin Margiela SS15

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Wet. The models were literally wet during the Maison Martin Margiela show. What else felt “wow” in this collection? Hand-painted daisies on skirts and over-sized sunglasses. And the print mash-up with oriental kimono-like cut-outs. What was the idea, motif of the idea? No idea. But it felt attractive, a bit perverse and very mysterious. It feels elusive and totally Margiela.

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Under The Palm Tree. Isabel Marant SS15

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“My girl’s got a city to run,” Vampire Weekend frontman Ezra Koenig intones on SBTRKT’s “New Dorp. New York.”, the soundtrack to the Isabel Marant show, and the collection is all about that woman. A city girl in tailored but textural shapes, accented with elements from her travels to Africa and exotic islands. Tailored trousers and pleated, tiered mini skirts mixed with knitted shag coats and fringed tabarts, wrapped and tied at the waist. Maybe that wasn’t the best Isabel Marant collection, but you can’t say it was bad. It was french, and it felt like a good take on beach walk. It was very Parisienne, and at the same time ethnical.

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Fashion History. Dior SS15

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The music was so bad, that Anna Wintour run away in the middle of the show, screaming “horrible fashion”. Well. Half that’s true. The music certainly was bad, and the clothes were also not really good… Raf Simons continues the same idea as during his last couture- to show history of fashion changing throughout one show. First we had medival gowns, pilgrim caftans. Then, lady-like skirt-and-tops. At the end, cosmic jumpsuits. Mostly all-white collection, with few drops of red velvet and blue tulle, felt for me not so good. It kind of didn’t have this thing that Raf usually brings to Dior. This modernity of past or how he calls it, starts to be boring. And I still can’t forgive the shoes. They looked to heavy, and destroyed nearly all looks. I don’t want to hate, but this thing doesn’t work on me. Hope Dior is not falling down again…

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Sun Kissed. Loewe SS15

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J.W. Anderson couldn’t go wrong. His debutant women collection for the Spanish fashion house, Loewe, is a masterpiece. Presented in the UNESCO building, full of concrete everywhere, the suede and drapings of dresses, skirts and bags looked perfect. Jonathan Anderson really studied Loewe’s archives- the brand is famous for its high quality leather. The collection itself was very modern, and of course used a lot of leather, and mostly suede. The pastel dresses had suede looking like to nearly fall out; the beige trench coat looked super effortless with those pants and orange mules; the jackets and tops were all about patent leather; and bags, like the Amazona had a totally new transformation. The t-shirts were embroidered in traditional, Spanish way, with a relaxed theme- a sunny, summer view at Mediterraean bushes full of olive trees and calm animals. The models had their eye-brows bleached, which gave all the looks sophistication, and most of them worn gold, zig-zag earrings. In other words, Anderson brought so much emotional, interesting ideas to the collection, that it simply feels like if his heart belonged to Loewe. And surely, it is.

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